MAIL ORDER WIFE
A cynical, depressing satire with no redemptive destination.
Should You Watch It?
MAIL ORDER WIFE has a potentially sharp subject: a parody of documentaries and a satire of white American men who buy mail-order brides from Asia. It also exposes the dark, sinful side of human desires and character traits. The review finds it funny and insightful up to a point, and Eugenia Yuan is especially good as Lichi, a demure but strong and clever woman.
But the film’s insights do not lead anywhere redemptive. Its characters are unsympathetic and pathetic, its tone is cynical and caustic, and its story grows sleazy and depressing. The content is also severe, with about 45 mostly strong obscenities, strong sexual innuendo, implied sexual slavery and sadomasochism, and other serious moral problems.
Even for adults, the negative elements overwhelm the film’s limited strengths. The practical answer is simple: skip it and choose something more truthful and constructive.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESA documentary filmmaker gives money to a lonely doorman so he can arrange a marriage with a woman from Asia—and film their new life together. When the marriage turns abusive, the woman seeks protection from the filmmaker, drawing all three into a tangled relationship involving betrayal, exploitation, heartache, and revenge.
Is It Any Good?
Two stars means the film has some merit but ultimately fails to deliver a satisfying or worthwhile experience. Its documentary parody and satire can be funny, and the review finds genuine insight in its portrayal of sinful desires and the pain they cause. Eugenia Yuan is especially good as Lichi, whose strength and cleverness stand out.
The filmmakers’ cynical, caustic tone becomes distasteful and ultimately misanthropic. None of the characters comes off looking good or sympathetic, and the film’s insights into human behavior do not seem to lead anywhere. Its limited positive potential cannot overcome its sleazy and depressing result.
The Worldview
MAIL ORDER WIFE presents a dark, ultimately negative pagan worldview. It sees lonely, geeky white American men and the Asian women they pursue through a harshly satirical lens, portraying mercenary desires and human relationships as deeply compromised. The film suggests that people’s intentions and character traits can cause great pain, but it offers no meaningful path toward repentance, restoration, or hope.
The movie also treats human beings as broadly pathetic and incompetent. A biblical understanding of sin is only lightly implied, while the film’s cynicism becomes its dominant conclusion. Scripture gives a fuller diagnosis and a different horizon: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Sin is real, but the biblical story does not end in despair.
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Dark, ultimately negative pagan worldview about lonely, geeky white American males and the mail order brides from Asia they sometimes arrange, and an undeveloped biblical sense concerning the sinful incompetence and destructiveness of human beings that is only lightly implied, as well as two minor male characters seem to be homosexual lovers; about 45 mostly strong obscenities; some light comical violence and implied sadomasochism not visually shown; implied sexual slavery and implied sadomasochism, man asks wife to strip for video, talk about fornication, elderly man tries to sexually exploit potential mail order bride before marriage, talk about medical procedure so woman can’t have a baby, and miscellaneous other sexual innuendoes; upper male nudity and implied nudity where woman covers her naked breasts with her hands so nothing can be seen; alcohol use; smoking; and, very strong miscellaneous moral problems such as men seek mail order brides, sexual exploitation, wife steals husband’s things and abandons him, vandalism, uncontrollable anger, husbands of mail order bride have negative attitudes about pregnancy and babies, mother is not supportive of son, revenge, and some may be offended by portrayals of white American males and women from Asian countries.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
What happens when people treat others as objects to satisfy their own desires? How does Scripture call us to regard other people instead?
Philippians 2:3–4 · James 3:9The film presents human beings as sinful and destructive but offers little hope. What does the gospel say about both our sin and God’s answer to it?
Romans 3:23–24 · 2 Corinthians 5:17How should anger, betrayal, and the desire for revenge be answered?
Ephesians 4:31–32 · Romans 12:19–21The Final Word
MAIL ORDER WIFE identifies real selfishness and exploitation, but its cynicism, sexual content, strong obscenity, and lack of redemption overwhelm its limited insights. Even adults should pass on this sleazy and depressing film. Our verdict is SKIP IT. For better choices, see.
